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Engagement & Pumpkin Spice Dip

Well! This is my first post since I’ve been ENGAGED! Woo! I have just wanted to relax the last few days and soak everything in, but I finally was able to go through the pictures so i can show you!

The Proposal- October 6, 2013:

So Tom recently got into school at CU’s medical campus, and we were all so excited for him! His sister, Michelle, called me one day and suggested we throw a surprise party for Tom. Great idea, I should have thought of that! So she asks if I can contact a bunch of our friends and have them show up at his house at 6:20pm, and then I would bring him to the house at 6:30pm. We were telling him that at 6:30pm we were going to a nice dinner for Michelle getting a new job. That way he could be all dressed up, and I could convince to just come get ready at my house.

So I spend the next week coordinating everybody, and letting them know we changed the date of the party to Sunday from Friday and emailing them all the deets. I also spent the next week having fun making comments casually to Tom about how I would be so hard to fool for when he proposed and he would be easy to fool “if I ever wanted to do something like that.” So back to the plan. Michelle tells me that they want to jump out in the backyard. Well in their house, once you walk through the garage, you’re pretty much in the kitchen, facing the backyard. I definitely panicked about this because I couldn’t figure out how I was going to get him in the backyard. After talking to a friend, we finally concluded that even if it seems suspicious I would just say something as soon as we walk in to the house to go to the backyard to wait for his family to be ready.

It’s Sunday around 6:20pm and it’s getting close. I’m starting to get nervous. What if I can’t get him in the backyard? He can be stubborn sometimes 😛 Or what if he sees them or figured it out because I take too long trying to get him into the yard? I can’t be responsible for ruining the whole party!! This is too much pressure. I’m nervous. My heart is racing. Relax Chase. I get a text from Michelle that everyone is at the house and they’re ready. Here we go.

We’re getting so close to the house. We finally pull up. Walk inside and I blurt out, “Let’s go in the backyard!!” Subtle, I know. “Okay,” Tom says as he heads for the back door. Omg that was amazing, so much easier than I thought it was going to be. He opens the back door and….nothing. No shouts, no people, nothing. I follow him outside and am looking left, right, left, right. Maybe we have to walk out further? Did they change the plan? Did I somehow ruin it? What are we going to do now? In such a shocked daze I mutter “where is everyone?” Tom responds, “are you looking for everyone for my surprise party?” “What!?!?”

It all clicks. The firepit with hay bails next to it, the s’mores and wine on a table next to it, a beautiful wooden arch with festive decorations, a giant vase of the most beautiful, unique combination of flowers, the outdoor fireplace with candles and lanterns, the carved pumpkins from one of “our” movies, the music playing in the background from my favorite scene in Tangled with all the lanterns, and tons and tons of mason jars hanging from the trees with candles in them. I have never been so surprised and happy and in love than in that moment with my best friend! I felt like I was in a fairy tale, and it looked that way too, so romantic and magical!

I’m keeping the beautiful speech and moments of the proposal to myself (obviously), but a few minutes later, Michelle comes out of the bush where she was snapping pictures, and both his and my family come out of the house after taking pictures and videos, with arms open and tears flowing! 20 minutes later all our friends show up and we spent the whole rest of the night celebrating with them! I couldn’t believe how much time and energy went into this and how involved everyone was, they made me feel so loved and blessed. My heart was smiling.

This day was my favorite day of my whole life, it could not have been more perfect and I never could have imagined how blown away, loved and special I would feel. I couldn’t have been more surprised or happy than I was that night! There is no way to quite articulate it, but I will never forget how I felt and how breathtakingly beautiful everything was.

The next day we went to Snooze for our favorite breakfast, and came back and roasted s’mores and ate lunch and dinner by the fire- on Cloud 9 all day!

I’m one lucky girl! xoxo

I’ve posted photos from the proposal (and I honestly could not take enough of how lovely everything was), and below the photos is a delicious Pumpkin Spice Dip recipe, just in time for fall! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Dip

This recipe comes from Carolina Charm, and has been such a hit everytime I’ve served it! I recommend making half the recipe at a time because it makes a lot! Of course if people don’t eat it all, you would just get stuck eating all the rest and that’s not such a bad thing 🙂

What you need:

16 oz container Cool Whip

1/2 TBSP Cinnamon

5 oz box Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix (only using the powder, not actually making the pudding)

15 oz Pumpkin

1/2 TBSP Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 Small Pumpkin for serving dip in (optional)

Items for dipping (graham crackers, apple slices, wafers etc.)

Instructions:

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl with a large spoon. Then put the mix in the refrigerator to chill for a few hours.

Step 2: Cut the lid off the top of the pumpkin and scoop out the guts. I lines my pumpkin with tin foil first so that I could serve it in that for a few days.

To our beautiful Chase. The pictures are beautiful. The backyard was just so magical and romantic. It was a very special time…watching you and Tom brought us all joys of tears…quite a few to be exact! =) It was like watching a silent movie… we could tell exactly what was transpiring the whole time! We’re so happy for you both. It was a pleasure and honor to be a part of your special evening. We love you both so much! Can’t wait for all that follows! Love, Aunt Di and Uncle Vince

Aww thank you so so much! It meant so much to us to have you all there! It was such a special night and I will always remember every little detail of it! Thank you for making the drive to come celebrate with us! We were so happy to have you guys there! We love you guys!!

Chase, I am so happy for you and Tom! Though I have known you for only a short time, I think you must be very well suited to each other and he definitely gets huge kudos for the engagement setting. God bless you both and God bless your marriage. Love, Jan Soneff

Jan, thank you so very much! That was such a sweet message and it completely warmed my heart! You have been such a blessing to me and I’m so looking forward to the rest of our Philippians study together!! thank you for all your support and love!!
🙂